CORSICANA

Which part of Corsica are you from?
I was born in Boston, Massachusetts to parents who always instilled in me the values of respect, family, and hospitality, all of which are typically Corsican values. Since my early childhood, I grew up spending all my summers in my village of Pila Canale with my grandparents. For me, what is most important is to perpetuate the culture of the ancients and our island history. Living in Canada during my studies, I pushed myself to learn the Corsican language in order to honor my roots, and also to get closer to the way the islanders used to communicate and live. "Sè a lingua si more, u populu sparisce."

Do you live in Corsica all year round?
No, I now live in New York! Some people will find it hard to understand how I manage to go from the "city that never sleeps" to the calm of the island of beauty. But to be honest, it helps me to recharge my batteries when I find the silence of the paese, the songs of the birds and the sound of the cicadas that cymbalize in the dry heat of the summer.

How did your passion for making ice cream and sorbets come about?
It's been a little over two years since I started working in the restaurant industry and more specifically in pastry making. I entered the Institute of Culinary Education in Manhattan in the middle of a pandemic, training to become a chef. This allowed me to quickly find an internship at Daniel's Restaurant on the Upper East Side; a prestigious restaurant with two Michelin stars. I spent a good year in the pastry brigade, where I learned a lot about organization, speed, cleanliness, and attention to detail, always with an eye towards excellence. I had the opportunity to be in charge of the artisanal production of the ice creams and sorbets of the restaurant as well as the catering service, which made me reveal a passion.

Today, I am about to work for a master ice cream maker in town, even if it means continuing my experience in the field. My dream and ambition is to start my own business around ice cream, because I always had this drive to create a product that is as fresh and new as the other one. But I know that it will take me some time.

What did Corsicana bring you?
Corsicana has allowed me to express myself in what I know best, and that is exploring what Corsica and its nature have to offer.
It has always been a dream for me to be able to incorporate our products and also to honor our island through my art. That being, always in season. It is important to me to use the flora and fruits that are available at the time, to reflect the freshness and richness that our land has to offer. Many scents are quite obscure to most people, especially those who are not from here. It becomes a duty as a professional to shed light on them.

What Corsican flavors did you create for the event?
For the preparation of the ice creams I made for Corsicana, I wanted to use only seasonal ingredients, which is something I prioritize when planning an artisanal ice cream preparation. So I created three flavors:

1. Ice cream with nepita (Corsican wild mint), that Florence Weis (a specialist of Corsican wild plants and herbs), went to pick me fresh in the maquis (her page: Salvaticu) and le Potager de la Rocade. But also with verbena, this one from Urbalacone.
2. Ice cream with immortelle (A Murza in Corsican); an emblematic plant of the Corsican maquis, containing many therapeutic and medical qualities. I wanted to combine it with spring honey, because of its less strong and more discreet aroma to bring out the star element of the ice cream.
3. Valinco lemon sorbet, with island olive oil. Combining the acidity of the citrus fruit of the four seasons, with the sweetness and fruity richness of the olive.